More Rwandans in rural areas, who are currently not connected, will be able to enjoy mobile telephone services following the integration of MTN and Vanu networks, a move that will extend MTN network.

The agreement will allow for the provision of GSM services, including voice and data, which were previously inaccessible to several thousand people in rural Rwanda, officials said while announcing the partnership yesterday. It will, not only benefit existing MTN subscribers, but also create an opportunity for MTN to grow its customer base.

The alliance between Vanu and MTN will close the digital divide by providing for services that were previously unavailable to the rural population. In addition to voice and data services, the alliance will allow for the provision of mobile money services through MTN Mobile Money which will unlock previously untapped economic opportunities, said Vanu Rwanda CEO Anthony Masozera.

“We are thrilled to be working with MTN Rwanda, the largest telecom operator in the country, on a project which we believe will have a transformative impact on the lives of Rwandans,” Masozera said in a statement yesterday.

He added that the partnership shows that MTN is willing to work with companies, like Vanu, that “have the potential to make a real difference in society.”

According to GSMA estimates, a 10 per cent increase in mobile penetration results in a 0.8 per cent increase in annual economic growth.

The Smart Rural Community® Collaboration Challenge is an opportunity for rural broadband providers to obtain up to $5,000 to deploy broadband-enabled solutions for community-oriented initiatives, including economic development, education, health care and public safety.

Cincinnati Enquirer — The Cincinnati area will get new help in its opioid fight through a pilot partnership with U.S. Homeland Security’s Science and Technology division that could yield a nationwide response to the epidemic.

CINCINNATI -- A partnership among businesses, educators and agencies is working to turn Cincinnati into the Silicon Valley of the Midwest. Local schools are training the next generation of cyber experts.

SAN LEANDRO, CA: At the September 17th City Council meeting, Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter and the San Leandro City Council unanimously approved a Fiber Optics Master Plan to guide expansion and increased utilization of the City’s fiber network.

The Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) security certificate protocol provides some much-needed updates to the WPA2 protocol introduced in 2004. Rather than a wholesale reworking of Wi-Fi security, WPA3 is focused on bringing new techniques to bear against the cracks that have begun to show in WPA2.

A few days before Hurricane Irma hit South Florida, Eric Bailey asked, “Has anyone researched news sites capability to provide low-bandwidth communication of critical info during crisis situations?” The question was timely — two days later, CNN announced that they created a text-only version of their site.

Experts gathered on Capitol Hill to discuss the myriad of security issues facing large and small events, to share industry insights with policymakers, and their predictions on the technology trends affecting event security.